Summary of ' Two Gentlemen of Verona' ( chapter1 cbse class 10th )

‘Two Gentlemen of Verona’ is a beautiful and touching story of two small boys who worked really hard in the city of Verona. One day, the narrator met these boys in Verona. They were selling wild strawberries. When asked about their age and name, they told him that Nicola, the elder was 13 whereas Jacopo, the younger, was 12. Next day, the narrator found them doing ‘brisk business’ in shoe-shining. When the narrator asked them the reason for changing their business, they told him that they did many things. For the next few days, the narrator found them shining shoes, selling fruits, hawking newspaper, conducting tourists round the town and so on. The narrator became eager to know why these small children worked so hard. He even realised that despite their hard work, they never spent money on themselves. Their clothes were dirty and they usually ate black bread and figs. He teased them by asking if they had plans to emigrate to America. To this they replied in negative saying that they had other plans. Then Jacopo requested the narrator to help them reach Poleta, 30 km. from Verona. The narrator agreed and took them there the next afternoon. In Poleta, they drew up at a large villa and rushed inside. He later came to know that it was a hospital where their sister, Lucia, was under treatment for tuberculosis of the spine. He asked the nurse about Lucia. She told the narrator that a bomb had destroyed their family and these boys grew to hate the Germans. After the war was over, there was peace all around. But not in the lives of these children as it was at this moment that they discovered Lucia suffering from the deadly disease. But after the treatment, she was recovering. He was further informed that her brothers made the payments every week for the smooth going of treatment. The narrator was touched by the devotion of the two boys. He could see the ray of hope for human society. Then all the three came back to Verona.